Where we are now
This is the stage we're at now:
- children and young people tell us they're concerned about bullying
- children and young people that are most likely to be bullied and face discrimination are those:
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- with disabilities
- with additional needs
- from minority groups
- who are looked after
- children and young people tell us that disruptive behaviour in school reduces their enjoyment and achievement in the classroom
- pupils' freedom from bullying, racism another forms of harassment was judged to be no better than satisfactory in 2 out of 5 secondary schools inspected (2003/2004)
- Ofsted's inspection of the local authority (May 2004) found that its support for behaviour in schools was unsatisfactory and poorly regarded by them
- children and young people are often portrayed negatively in their communities and by the media (7% of press stories about young people are negative)
Why this is a priority
This is a priority because:
- there's a strong association between bullying and discrimination about the health, education achievement and emotional wellbeing of children and young people
- it's important that children and young people grow up with a sense of respect for others; learning how to resolve conflict, developing good social skills and positive relationships that they can take into adult life
- there's no need for policies on combatting bullying to be implemented and monitored by all partners or organisations working with children and young people
- this issue requires a range of services to provide preventative support and have inter-agency policies and procedures agreed
- information needs to be shared effectively across services and professionals working with children and young people
- early identification and intervention will reduce the need for referrals to specialist child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS)
- community and media perceptions of young people should reflect reality to ensure all young people are treated fairly and with respect by adults
What we will do
We will:
- reduce children's and young people's experience of bullying behaviour
- reduce children's and young people's experience of discriminatory behaviour
- make sure that children, young people and their carers are informed about key risks to safety and how to deal with them
- make sure that there are effective ways of knowing the whereabouts of vulnerable children and young people, particularly those who go missing and those out of school
- work with partner agencies to increase the available resources and accessibility to treatment programmes for those who pose a risk of offending against children
Find more information on our bullying page.